New Self-regulatory Program For Online Behavioural Advertising
September 5th, 2013 | ACA Team,
By Bob Reaume, ACA
A new self-regulatory program for Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) has been developed for Canada. OBA involves tracking consumers’ online activities in order to deliver advertisements targeted to their inferred interests. It has proven to be quite an effective method of advertising.
By way of background, for the past two years the ACA was instrumental in forming the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC), which is comprised of Canada’s largest marketing and advertising associations, including Advertising Standards Canada (ASC), Association des agences de publicité du Québec (AAPQ), Canadian Marketing Association (CMA), Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC), Le Conseil des directeurs médias du Québec (CDMQ), Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB) and Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA).
After participating with the Office of the Privacy Commissioners’ consultations and reviewing their guidelines released on OBA, DAAC has developed a framework that sets out a series of principles for the collection of data to facilitate the delivery of advertising based on the preferences or interests of web users in a manner that is consistent with applicable Canadian privacy laws and the core elements of the global self-regulatory principles for online OBA.
Similar to self-regulatory programs in the U.S. and Europe, online ads are served with an identifying icon that indicates to the consumer the advertiser is adhering to the Privacy Principles’ framework for the Canadian program. This program is based on a set of Principles, the key requirements of which are related to:
- Educating consumers about OBA;
- Notice/Transparency by companies that participate in OBA, and the particular notice obligations will depend on how a company is involved in OBA;
- A User Control requirement which will enable web users to opt-out of OBA;
- Data Security and data retention requirements; and
- A specific provision related to the treatment of Sensitive Information.
Most importantly, the DAAC program includes an accountability component that will be managed and operated by ASC. ASC will be responsible for establishing monitoring, complaint, compliance and transparency processes. ASC’s policies, practices and procedures in this regard will form the program’s accountability structure.
The launch program includes introductory webinars and a dedicated website, youradchoices.ca / votrechoixdepub.ca, which went live on September 5, 2013. The site provides details for Canadian consumers about how they can opt-out of OBA, and how they can report a complaint of a violation of the self-regulatory principles. There is also information about how companies can participate in the program, including the pricing, how companies can register to display the AdChoices/Choixdepub icon, and how to be listed on the consumer opt-out page.
Bob Reaume is Vice President, Policy & Research with the ACA. He can be reached at (416) 964-3805, ext 1003 /